El Hedi ben Salem m'Barek Mohammed Mustafa was a Moroccan actor whose brief but intense film career is inextricably linked to the German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, who was also his partner. He is internationally known primarily for his leading role in the film *Ali: Fear Eats the Soul* (1974), where he portrays Ali, an immigrant worker whose relationship with an older German woman exposes the latent racism in society. His filmography, concentrated almost exclusively between 1971 and 1974, includes appearances in other important works by Fassbinder, such as *The Merchant of Four Seasons* (1972), *World on a Wire* (1973), and *Martha* (1974). Although he did not receive individual awards for his performances, his screen presence, characterized by a silent intensity and a naturalistic style, is considered a key element in the critical success of the films in which he appeared, particularly in the international acclaim for *Ali: Fear Eats the Soul*, which received an award at the Cannes Film Festival.